Espania

Hola mi amogos! Unfortunately that is about the extent of my Spanish since I have started to learn German, but it didn't slow me down on my trip to ESPANIA!

Barcelona Coastline

This is the second trip that I have taken with my host family, and despite working on vacation, I could hardly complain. Traveling alone has its advantages, but staying in a hotel with a California King sized bed, a jaccuzi, indoor and outdoor swimming pool, and fancy breakfast - yes please! I took advantage of all the perks because opportunites like this don't come knocking twice.

The first three days we stayed at Hotel Mas Salvi in Pals, Spain, about 2 hours north or Barcelona in Coasta Brava. The hotel, opened only for a few months of the year and used mostly for weddings, is romantically secluded in the small town and gave me little wiggle room to entertain an energetic almost-3-year-old. As we were there to attend a wedding of a friend of my host dad's, I was in charge of the kid nearly 24 hours a day and even shared a room with the tyke. During the day I was with my host family and we took some day trips to neighboring towns or trips to the beach. I even did Tequila shots with my host dad on the beach, which was an experience in itself (the kid tried to steal it, which was highly entertatining).


The following three days after the wedding, we moved to Hotel Sa Punta which was a little more family oriented and closer to the beach. There was a huge pool, a nice yard, and most importantly I had my own room. We spend a lot of time at the beach and I did my best to get my tan on while protecting against skin cancer and a giant sunburn. I may have failed at not getting a sunburn since I am pretty sure I am borderline albino.



One of the highlights of the trip was a spontaneous evening in which one of the waitors at the hotel approached me one night and asked me to join him for a drink after work. I was in the mood for adventure and at half past midnight jumped in his car to find myself returning in the wee hours of the morning after a night full of dancing and glowing drinks (seriously, the water glowed!). While some might call me crazy for going out with a stranger in a foreign country in the middle of the night, I find that the locals are the best people to give a real experience so why pass up the opportunity to see the night life? I had a blast!

After six days with the family we parted ways, I hopped on a bus, and slept the 2 hour ride into Barcelona to meet my brother, Chris, and his girlfriend, Courtney, who were flying in from Paris that afternoon. After meeting at the hotel we soon realized there was a problem - apparently when the reservation was made it was made for 2 adults and a cot. Well aparently a "cot" means "baby bed" not "fold-out bed." I know I am an au pair and supposed to buck up in certain situations and take my place in the caste system, but sleeping in a crib is where I draw the line. I feed, clothe, and raise babies, I refuse to sleep like one too. So we canceled the reservation and ended up finding a cheaper place, in a better part of town, with a bedroom, living room, bathroom, and kitchenette. Yeah, baller.

Arc de Triomf

So if you have ever met me or my brother, you know that when we are together we are....something awesome. The night began with some light champagne and tapas and ended many hours later with an advil in the morning. The next day we got a slow start at about 11am when we headed for the beach. The three of us bummed on the beach for a few hours turning down all sorts of services offered by all sorts of nationalities trying to make a living off the thousands of tourists. I have to admit, it was almost as annoying as Mexico. Eventually we found our way wandering down the beach in the direction of Ice Barcelona, an ice bar on the beach (yeah, get jealous). We finally found our way there and after a short drink outside we met up with my my college friend, Scott, who happened to be in Barcelona the same weekend. Then, in my bathing suit and summer dress, I put on a sub-zero parka and fleece gloves and headed into the -11 degree celcuis bar. It was one of the coolest bars (pun intended) I have ever been in. The drink I had inside was delicious and it was hard work to keep the liquid from spilling out of my cup made of ice from my unavoidable shivering. That night was a repeat of the night before, including the delicious food and amazing mixed drinks. I have been to many countries, but Barcelona has by far the best mixed drinks of any other country I have ever been to. And that is a Fact.

Me and Chris at Ice Barcelona

Me in front of an ice sculpture of Sagrada Familia (Gaudi)

Dolce & Gabana Stilettos

The next day was my last full day in Barcelona before heading back to Zürich the following morning. I had two items on my agenda: Gaudi architecture and shopping. Courtney and I woke up early in the morning and left my brother behind to sleep and relax while we hit the stores. I have to say that Courtney is probably one of the best people in the world to shop with. She can spot cute stores with good deals and will be honest about how you look when you try things on. Oh, and if it is your birthday, she will downright spoil you. Chris has my everlasting approval of this chick for sure. After an entire morning of shopping I had bought a pair of flat shoes, a shirt from Desigual, a faux leather jacket, and a pair of Dolce & Gabana stilletos. Success is an understatement. In the afternoon we met up with my brother and after confirming that Rebecca Steiner should never ride a bike, we split ways so the couple could do a biking tour of the city and I could wander ever so slowly by foot to the various Gaudi masterpieces.

Well seeing as this blog is already ridiculously long and Gaudi is probably one of the few architects that is impossible to describe, I have attached a slideshow of my photos so you can get confused all by yourself. Enjoy!